Title: The 'Hart' of the Matter
Author: Mykkila09
Chapter(s): 1/1
Summary: this is the sequel to Just a Dream. Kim reflects on how her life has gone over the years and the choices she made. Wishing for another chance at happiness and love, the one who holds her heart is back in her life offering both to her.
Pairings: Jason/Trini; Aisha/Rocky; Zack/Kat; Adam/Tanya; Billy/OC
Story Word Count: 6,650
Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all its affiliates belong to Haim Saban. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended and no money is being made from this. This is just a work of fiction. The only thing I own is little Jasmine Oliver and Mitchell.
A/N: Ok...here is the sequel to Just A Dream. I hope you guys like it as much as you did JAD. Enjoy.
She woke up to her alarm going off. With a sigh she stretched out a hand and turned it off before rolling over onto her side. Her gaze fell on the picture on her bedside table and she reached out to pick it up.
It was a picture of her and Tommy, taken the night Zordon had died. Tommy had his arms wrapped around her and her head was buried into his chest; Tommy was looking down at her with love and concern, but she hadn't known at the time because she had had her eyes closed.
When Jason had given her the picture, she had spent nights after nights just staring at him, willing herself to get up the courage to call him. When she finally did, she had learned that he was chosen by Anton Mercer to go on an archaeological dig and had decided against calling, knowing that that was something Tommy had longed for. So she had let him go. Hearing about the explosion months later, had near killed her.
Being in Paris with her mom and stepfather was something she loved as she not only got to spend time with them, but she had an amazing job. But when she had gotten the news about Tommy, she had wanted to rush on a plane back to Angel Grove, but she couldn't; she had been a part of a big project and there was no way she could've let her co-workers down, not after putting in so much time and energy into it.
But Tommy had understood. At least, that's what Trini and Aisha and Jason had told her. Even though they weren't speaking, the three had told her that he was happy that she had called, worried about him. She had of course taken that as a sign to give them another chance, but it seemed as if Destiny had other plans. Tommy had not only left the island alive, but he had left with the tools for the next set of rangers, three different coloured rocks that held power inside of them.
'And then...he became a mentor to three teens and then a ranger himself. After everything we went through when we were teenagers, I wasn't going to put either one of us in a position like that again,' she thought to herself as she ran a finger over Tommy's face. She loved him so much...more than anything else in her life and it hurt not being with him.
When she had come back from Paris back in '05, she had thought it was finally their chance. Instead, she heard through the others that Tommy had ended up with the girl he had mentored the rangers with, Haley Ziktor, and that she was pregnant with his baby. That news had broken her heart. She had always thought she and Tommy would have kids together, not with someone else.
'We got so close so much times,' tears filled her eyes, we had so much to say, but each time, we just let each other walk away. And now, I'm here wondering about what could've been. How could I not see that being with him and loving him, was all I wanted?'
Knowing she had to meet her friends, she replaced the picture and got up. She left her bedroom and headed to the bathroom. As she went through her morning routine, her thoughts once again drifted off to Tommy.
They had been through so much; from the day they met until now, life hadn't make things easy for them, but back in high school they had made it work.
"Yeah," Kim muttered as she stepped into the shower, "until I went and messed it all up." Turning the shower, she sighed as the water cascaded around her.
'I actually thought someone could love me better than Tommy. I let my fear from what had happened with Zedd rule me and I threw away the one thing I held close...Tommy's love.'
Shaking her head, she finished her shower and got out. She got dressed and made her bed before sitting in front of the mirror. Grabbing her brush and towel, she dried her hair and then brushed it out. When she was done, she applied just a touch of make-up before staring at her reflection.
"How can I do this?" she asked, "how can I see everyone being so happy, knowing that I'm not...that I lost my chance years ago." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and released it, opening her eyes as she did so. "You can do this Kimberly. You're stronger than you think you are. You can get through today, the same way you got through every single day that has passed."
Smiling slightly, she got up, grabbed her purse and left the apartment.
~...~
Walking into Ernie's, Kim saw her friends sitting at their usual tables. Smiling, she made her way over to them.
"Hi guys," she greeted as she pulled up a seat.
"Kimberly," Trini smiled at her childhood friend. "Glad you could make it."
"Don't I always?" she grinned. "So what are we doing today?"
"Thought we'd have a picnic at the park," Aisha said from her position in Rocky's arms.
"Sounds like fun," she nodded. "It is a nice day out."
"True," Billy nodded.
"So Mitchell," she turned to the guy sitting next to Billy. "How's everything going?"
"Good," Mitch smiled. "Job's going good and I have an amazing boyfriend."
Billy flushed.
"Oh, so this weird and crazy motley crew hasn't run you off as yet?" Kim teased, ignoring Zack and Adam's indignant shouts.
"No," Mitch laughed and pressed a kiss to Billy's cheek. "I figured if I wanted to be with Billy for the long haul I'd had have to accept you guys' brand of crazy and I'm willing to do so."
"Aww," the girls cooed.
"Good answer," Jason nodded with a grin, his big brother act shining through.
She had to smile as she knew that Jason had nothing against Mitchell as long as he treated Billy right. When the blue-eyed genius had come out to his friends just after Zordon's passing, to say they were shocked was an understatement, but they had immediately gotten past the shock, especially after they were told by Billy that he had been terrified of what they would think. They were cool with it and were protective when a few months later, Billy had his first boyfriend. It didn't last, and they had made sure the guy had learned his lesson from hurting their friend.
Billy had dated a few guys after that, but none serious until he had met Mitchell two years ago. The chemistry between them was apparent for them and the two had immediately gone on a date and had been together ever since.
She was broken out of her musings by Rocky and Zack as they teased Billy, delighting the way their friend's cheeks flushed red.
"Guys," Kat smacked her boyfriend on the arm. "Leave him alone Zachary Taylor."
"Ouch," Zack exaggerated. "Woman, stop abusing me."
"Please," Kim laughed. Despite her own heartache, she was beyond happy for all her friends. She just wished she could have the same happiness they did. "It aint abuse if you like it."
Zack stopped protesting and grinned. "Yeah...you're right."
"Oh, ew," Kim shook her head. "Get your mind of out of the gutter Zack."
"You put me there Kimmie," Zack threw a fry at his friend.
"What'd I say about that nickname?" she mock glared at him.
"Ok, ok," Zack held up his hands in surrender.
"Really Zack," Tanya laughed, "you should've known better."
The others laughed at the look on his face.
"We should get some food from Ernie and head out," Adam said as he glanced at the clock.
"Sounds good." The others nodded in agreement and they got up from their seats, heading to the counter.
After getting the food from Ernie, the friends made their way out the door and to the park.
~...~
She looked around at her friends as they sat in the park. The love between them was so easy to see and she was happy because they were happy. It's one of the things she always wanted, to see her friends with the one they were meant to be with. With that thoughts drifted off to him again.
'Stop it Kimberly!' she mentally scolded. 'He's not yours anymore...it's over...nothing will ever happen between the two of you.Why not? Why can't we get our second chance? Don't we deserve it? Yeah...but remember Hayley? Do you think he's gonna be ready to be with someone after losing her, especially with his—their—daughter to raise?'
And that hurt more than anything. She had always thought that any kids Tommy had, it would be with her. When she had heard about him and Hayley it had sent pain through her, but that pain had been nothing compared to what she had felt when she heard about his daughter.
"Sis," Trini called out to her and she looked over at the girl. "The guys are gonna go play football and we're gonna throw this Frisbee around, wanna join?"
"Nah," She shook her head with a smile. "I think I'm just gonna sit here and enjoy the breeze for a while."
"Alright," Trini nodded and the others moved away. Sighing, she relaxed even further as her thoughts drifted off again to Tommy and his daughter.
She had been in Paris visiting her parents and on a phone call to Trini, the Vietnamese had let it slip that Tommy was having a little girl with Hayley. She had been shocked and after she had hung up, she had cried herself to sleep that night. She had returned to Angel Grove two months later and had avoided anything Tommy-centric as it had been too much.
Every time there was a gathering with the friends, she had made some kind of excuse so she couldn't be there to see Tommy and a pregnant Hayley. Finding out that their daughter had been born on her birthday hurt just as much as finding out about her.
"Hey." She shook her head and looked up to see Jason looking at her in concern.
"What is it?" She asked.
"You ok?" Jason reached out a hand to touch her. "You looked lost in thoughts for a moment there."
"I'm fine," she smiled at him, "just thinking about some things, but I'm ok."
"If you're sure," Jason said. He could tell something was bothering her and knew exactly what it was, but he also knew not to push.
"I'm sure," She smiled, "thanks for being a concerned big brother."
"No thanks needed for doing my job," Jason grinned and pulled her into a hug. "I love you Firebird."
"Love you too Rex," she replied as she returned the hug. They pulled away from each other and he headed back to the guys.
Watching her friends, she couldn't help but to reflect on their high school days...when he was there.
'God, stop it Kim! Stop thinking about him! It's over between the two of you. What you had is in the past. You need to let go and move on...really move on.'
"But I don't want to," she whispered softly, her eyes filling with tears. "How can I move on when Tommy still has my heart? How can I let go when I still love him with everything in me?"
And therein was the crux of the matter; she wanted to move on from Tommy, but she couldn't do so because he held her heart and she didn't want to take it back.
"What am I gonna do?" she closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she saw her friends heading her way and quickly wiped her eyes and all traces that she was crying away.
"Done already?" she smiled at them, laughing when Rocky threw himself down beside and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"I missed my crane," Rocky grinned as he squeezed her, delighting in the laughter that escaped. He had seen the look on her face and had felt overwhelmingly sad for her. Kim had been his little sister since they met. They had gone through so much together and had bonded through it all. It always hurt him to see her hurt.
"Aww," she grinned and squeezed back. "Missed you too ape."
The friends and they then settled comfortably, talking about anything and everything. As the time passed, she found herself watching the others. Everyone was paired off; Jason and Trini, Zack and Kat, Rocky and Aisha, Adam and Tanya, even Billy had seemed to found the one for him in Mitchell. Everyone had someone.
'Except for me.' The thought was beyond sobering and she tried to stop the sadness from enveloping her. 'Stop it Kim! I thought you got past this?' She didn't want to feel bad in front of her friends, but lately, it seemed as if that was all she could do. She really was happy for them, but she couldn't help but to fell somewhat envious.
She tried to push the thoughts from her mind, but no matter how hard she tried, they kept coming. Her eyes scanned her friends before they drifted away and looked around the park. Couples all over greeted her gaze and she felt her heart constrict; she watched how they teased their partners, the little touches and smiles they gave one another and suddenly, it was all too much.
She stood abruptly. "You know what guys? I think I'm gonna go."
"What?" Aisha's brows furrowed as she looked up at Kim. She, as well as the others, was surprised by the move and the girl wanting to leave. "Why? Do you have something to do? I thought you were on a short vacation?"
"I am," she nodded, "I just-I just have to go...ok?"
"Is everything ok?" Trini asked as she stood up.
"Yeah, everything's fine," she smiled at her friend, "I'm just gonna head back to my apartment. I'll see you guys later."
"Kimberly," Kat called, but the brunette just waved and continued walking. Kat turned back to her friends. "What just happened?"
The others looked confused, except for Jason and Rocky; Jason had his eyes closed while Rocky held a look of sadness.
"Guys?" Tanya looked at the two of them. "What is it?"
The two exchanged glances. Jason ran a hand through his hair. "I'm calling him and I'm telling him to get his head of out of his ass and finally do something."
"If you don't," Rocky agreed, "I will." He looked at the others and sighed. "You guys didn't see it?"
"See what?" Billy asked.
"Kim's hurting," Jason sighed. "She left partly because of us."
"What?" Mitchell looked at him in confusion. He couldn't understand how they had made Kim leave.
"Oh my God," Trini whispered as her eyes fell shut briefly before she opened them again. "She saw us being happy with each other and it reminded her that she's not with him, didn't it?"
"Yeah," Rocky nodded, "I saw it on her face when we were walking back over to her. She was thinking about them and what could've been."
"Kimberly," Aisha shook her head, her heart aching for her best friend. "What are we going to do?"
"We have to get them back together," Zack answered, "you guys know he's just as miserable as her, but they're both so stubborn and believes that the other has moved on."
"Zack's right," Tanya said, "but how do we do that?"
"First," Kat smiled, "we need to get Tommy here."
"How though?" Billy asked. Before anyone could answer, they heard a very familiar voice.
"AUNT TRINI!" they looked up and saw Jasmine running towards them, behind her was Tommy.
Surprise and excitement ran through the friends as they watched the duo make their way towards them.
Trini bent down and caught Jasmine her in her arms. "Hey sweetie, what are you guys doing here?"
"Daddy says we're here for a visit," Jasmine said as she wrapped her arms around her aunt's neck. She looked at the others and grinned. She wiggled in Trini's arm, wanting to be put down and when she was, she made her way to each of them.
"Hey guys," Tommy smiled as he greeted them.
"Man it's good to see you," Jason grinned, pleased that Tommy was here. Half their work was just completed. "How long are you staying?"
"The week?" Tommy said as he moved to hug Trini.
"Good," Rocky grinned and watched as Jasmine hugged everyone.
It was only until she had finished hugging Mitchell, did the little girl looked around before going back to stand in front of Trini. "Auntie Tri?"
"Yes sweetie?" Trini looked down at her niece.
"Where's Auntie Kim?" Jasmine pouted, "I don't see her and I wanted a Crane Hug."
The others couldn't help but to smile at Jasmine words. When Jasmine had turned two, Tommy had brought her to Angel Grove for her birthday. They had decided to use Ernie's and since it was Kim's birthday, she was there as well. It was the one time she couldn't avoid Tommy. When Tommy and Jasmine had shown up, Kim had been on the balance beam and the little girl had been immediately captivated. She had spent the day at Kim's side.
Tommy shook his head. His little girl's love for Kimberly had been one of the major sore points between him and Hayley. Hayley hadn't been able to come to Jasmine's birthday party that year because she was sick, but when they had gotten back home, Jasmine had started babbling about Kimberly which of course sent Hayley into a pissed off mood.
Two months later was when things had blown up. Jasmine had been watching TV, which was showing some footage from the '96 Pan Globals. Recognizing her Aunt Kim, the little girl had squealed as loud as ever and had started trying to do some of the moves. Hayley had been super pissed at that, especially since earlier in that day, she had found the picture of Tommy and Kim. The two of them had fought later at the café, but then he had ended the fight and had left to pick Jasmine up from the babysitter's. Hayley had died later that night in a car accident.
"Tommy!" he snapped out of his thoughts and looked up, realizing the others were looking at him.
"What?" Tommy asked.
"Where did you go?" Tanya grinned, "We called your name like five times."
"Sorry," Tommy smiled sheepishly before he sobered up. "So, where is she?"
"She left like ten minutes before you guys showed up," Mitchell told him.
"She went home?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah," Trini nodded as she looked thoughtfully at Tommy. There was something slightly different about him today. He seemed calmer, more at peace, freer, like a weight had been lifted off of him. Despite the casual and laid back pose he was in, there seem to be a sort of confidence clinging to him. It reminded her of when they were back in high school and Tommy was the leader of the rangers. He was focused and determined then and now, he looked the same.
'Why though?' Trini asked herself. Her thoughts flew in all direction until a name popped up and loudly. Her eyes widened slightly in awareness. "Oh my God."
Everyone turned to look at her, but her eyes were on Tommy.
"It's about time." She smiled and stepped close, pulling him into a hug. "Go claim your crane Flyboy, she's waiting for you." She whispered in his ear.
They pulled back from the hug and Tommy grinned. "I will." He looked at the others before looking at his daughter. "Jazz, you're going to stay with your aunts and uncles. I'm going to go find Aunt Kim for you, ok?"
"Ok daddy," Jasmine grinned, happy that she would get her Crane Hug.
Tommy looked back at his friends. "I'll be back." With that, he turned and walked away, almost hurrying to his jeep.
"What was that about?" Mitchell asked.
"That was our falcon," Trini grinned, still looking at Tommy's receding body, "and he's on a mission to reclaim his crane."
"Seriously?" Aisha looked at her. "It's about time."
Echoes of agreement sounded from the others.
~...~
She sighed as she closed and locked her door behind her. She knew her friends were worried as to why she left as suddenly as she did and she would explain later, but right now she couldn't bring herself to care.
Being around her friends was always a bit hard, but today seemed to be the worst. Seeing all those couples in the park, and her friends, being so in love made her jealous and filled her with longing. She wanted what they had.
She walked over to the couch and sat down, tucking her legs underneath her. She hated being alone and she hated feeling so lonely. She wanted to feel loved, to be cherished; she wanted someone to be there for her, to hold her, to take care of her, to make her smile. She wanted...Tommy.
"But I can't have him, can I?" She said out loud. "He's not mine anymore." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "But I wish he was."
She sighed and brought up her arms, folding them on the arm of the couch and rested her head on it. As she lay there, her mind went through her memories of her and Tommy; their first meeting, their first fight, their first kiss, their first date...all of it washed over her.
"We were so happy then," she mused softly, "and so in love. Nothing could've touched us." She sighed. "If I still love him so much, then why haven't I done anything about it?"
Even as the words left her mouth, she already knew the answer. She hadn't done anything—gone after Tommy again or called him—because the truth of the matter was, she was scared. She was scared of hurting him again. She had done so when they were teenagers and she was terrified of doing the same thing again.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Startled, her gaze flew to the door, hoping it wasn't one of the others. She knew they would just want to comfort her and reassure her and while she loved them for it, she wasn't really in the mood.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"I'm coming!" she sighed and stood up. Grumbling to herself, she walked over to the door and opened it. "I told you I was—Tommy?"
"Hello Kimberly," Tommy smiled, "can I come in?"
She kept staring at him for a few seconds, wondering if he was real or dream.
"Kim?" Tommy cocked his head to the side as he waved his hands in front of her face.
"You're really here?" she asked in surprise.
"Yes," Tommy grinned, "now, can I please come in?"
"Sure," she nodded and stepped back, allowing him to walk past her and into the apartment. When he was in, she closed the door and rested her forehead against it for a few seconds before turning around to follow him.
"What are you doing here Tommy?" she asked, crossing her arms across her chest and staring at him.
Tommy went to the couch and sat down. "I was wondering if we could talk."
"Talk about what?" she asked even as her gaze travelled his body. He still looked the same as he did since she last saw him; hair was still short, he was a bit tanner this time and his body had filled out a little more. He was still gorgeous.
"Please sit," Tommy looked over at her. He took in her appearance, noting that her hair was darker than the last time, but it was still shoulder length. Other than that, she looked the same; as beautiful as ever.
"Fine," she sighed and walked over to the couch, sitting as far away from him as she can. She was feeling off kilter about him being here. She never thought it would happen and it had her terrified as well as hopeful. She looked over and saw a smile on his face when he saw what she did and she scowled. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Tommy sighed and let his body relax into the couch; he stretched out his legs and dropped his head back to rest on the back of the couch. "I've been doing some thinking lately; well, in all honesty I've been doing some thinking for years now."
"What?" even though it was just the two of them, her voice came out in a whisper.
"Four years ago I started thinking about doing something, something that I should have done a long time ago," Tommy raised his head and looked over at her. "It's something I wished I had done not only four years ago, but even years before that." At her look, he smiled, "I wish I had gone after you; four years ago when Mesogogg was defeated and," he paused and then he got up and moved to sit right next to her, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly in his, "And when I got the letter."
"Tommy," her breath hitched as his words washed over and suddenly, she felt she couldn't breathe. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach and could feel the hop building inside of her.
"Kim," Tommy locked his eyes with hers. He wanted her to see just how serious he was about what he was about to say. As he gazed into her eyes, his dream came back to him and suddenly, he knew exactly what to say. "I never told you this, but what I regret the most in my life was not coming after you when I got that letter. My heart was screaming at me to come to Florida and fight for you, but my head was saying to just let you go, that you were happy and since your happiness was what I wanted more than anything, I listened to my head instead of my heart. And I have regretted that ever since."
Tommy and reached up his right hand to cup her cheek, gently wiping the tears that spilled over away. He was filled with so much love for the petite brunette. "I'm finally listening to my heart Kim."
"What-what are you saying?" she asked, her heart pounding in her chest. She longed to hear the words she hoped he would say.
"I still love you Beautiful," Tommy said softly. "I always have and I always will."
Her eyes slipped close as her tears spilled over onto her cheeks. His words sank into her being and all the pain, anger, sadness and doubts that she had held on to over the years vanished.
"And I want to be with you," Tommy continued and his thumb wiped her tears away. "I want to know I'm the one that can still make you smile, the one you can come to for anything, the one to make you happy. I want to be a family with you and Jasmine. We're meant to be together Kim. I knew that in high school and I know it now. It's always been you. So, what do you say? Give us a second chance?"
It was everything she had wanted to hear, everything she had hoped for. Her mind, her heart and her soul were crying out for the chance to be with him. And she listened. Smiling, she reached up hand and placed it on his. "I never expected this. I've dreamed about it for years, but I gave up hope on it being a reality. You said you were sorry you never fought for me when the letter came, but I'm sorry the letter was ever needed in the first place. I won't go into that as we've already talked things out."
She took a deep breath, released it and continued, "I never stopped loving you Tommy. You've had my heart since we met and you never gave it back. It's always been you Handsome."
"So are you giving us a chance?" Tommy asked, his voice hopeful. But, he told himself that even if she said no, he would do everything in his power to change her mind, to show her that they did belong together.
"Yes," she nodded, "I want to be with you and only you. I love you Thomas James Oliver, always have and I always will."
"Good," Tommy said before he leaned and sealed his lips against hers. It was a kiss that was long overdue. Mouths opened and tongues duelled as their passion raised and they reaffirmed their bond.
Minutes later, they pulled away, resting their foreheads together.
"I'm so glad we're us again," Tommy smiled. He was unbelievably happy right now. The last time he had felt such joy was when he had held Jasmine for the first time.
"Well not yet," she grinned, "but we'll get there, I have no doubt about that."
"So now that that's out of the way," Tommy tucked some hair behind her ear. "There's somewhere we have to be."
"Where's that?" she asked.
"Well," Tommy chuckled, "I promised a little girl that I would bring her Auntie Kim to the park so that she could see her and get her Crane Hug."
Her eyes lit up in happiness at the thought of Tommy's daughter. Despite the fact that she had been hurt when Tommy had Jasmine with Hayley and she had spent most of the time avoiding him when they had their ranger gathering, she had still fallen for the little girl. The two had met at Jasmine's second birthday which had been at Ernie's and since it was her birthday too, she couldn't skip out.
She had been on the beam when Tommy and Jasmine had arrived and the moment she had gotten off, the little girl was by her side and had stayed with her for the entire day. Oh, she still had avoided Tommy as much as she could, but she hadn't been able to part herself from his daughter's company. After that, whenever Tommy came by, she would still avoid him, but would spend time with Jasmine instead.
"She's here?" she asked smiling brightly.
"I left her at the park with the others," Tommy said, "She really wants her hug."
"Well let's go then," she laughed, "don't want to keep the princess waiting."
Tommy laughed and the two stood up. Tommy, still having a hold of Kim's hand, brought it up to his lips for a kiss. "I love you Beautiful and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
"I love you too Tiger," she grinned, "and I can't wait either." She stepped close and kissed him. "Now, let's go greet our daughter."
Tommy's eyes lit up with pure joy at her words and she felt the answering joy in her. The words had slipped out, but she didn't regret them. Jasmine may be Hayley's but she was also Tommy's and she really did love the little girl, so as far as she was concerned, she was willing to be a mother to her and what better way to start than to acknowledge Jasmine as her daughter.
Tommy kissed her again. "God you make me so happy. How did I ever get so lucky?"
"We both got lucky," she told him, before she pulled away and led him to the door. "Now, let's go."
Grinning, he followed her out the apartment.
~...~
Kim and Tommy were all smiles as they made their way through the park to where their friends were. They were back together and so in love that it showed; people saw them and smiled at the love and trust and happiness flowing between the two.
When they saw their friends, Kim laughed when she saw Rocky giving Jasmine a piggyback ride.
"He's a kid around her," she laughed.
"He's always a kid," Tommy said as he watched his daughter and his friends.
"Sometimes he's serious," she nudged him in his side and gave him a glance. "Besides, all of us act like kids around her sometimes. She brings out the kid in us."
Tanya was the first to spot them and she called out. "Hey guys."
The others turned and smiled when they saw the two walking over. Trini and Aisha were the first to see the change.
"Is this for real?" Trini near screamed as she ran over to the two, Aisha in tow.
"Yes," Tommy grinned, "it's for real."
"What's going on?" Mitch asked as he and the others made their way over.
"Tommy and I decided to give us another chance," She answered with a smile. "We're back together."
"It's about damn time," Jason said as the others cheered.
The girls went over to Kim and pulled her into a hug.
"AUNTIE KIM!" Jasmine's yell cut through the celebration and the girls let go of Kim just in time for the little to crash into Kim's legs. "You're here."
"Hi sweetie," she smiled down at the little girl. "And yes I am. You're daddy did promise to get me."
"Thank you daddy," Jasmine gave her father a quick hug before going back over to Kim. "Can I have my Crane Hug Auntie Kim?"
"Always sweetie," she grinned and then she knelt on the ground in front of Jasmine, spread her arms wide, like a bird spreading its wings—while Jasmine brought hers into her chest with a giggle—and then wrapped them around the little girl, bringing Jasmine closer to her body and ducking her head, rubbing her forehead on Jasmine's shoulder. The two stayed in that position for a few minutes before Kim pulled back and ran her hand over Jasmine's hair.
Laughing, Jasmine threw her arms around Kim's neck, making said girl laugh as she moved an arm under Jasmine's legs to hold her and standing up.
"You two are just so cute," Kat giggled. She was always awed whenever she saw Kim and Jasmine together. If you didn't know them, you would think that they were truly mother and daughter. She knew, like the others, that that had always been a problem for Hayley when she was still alive.
"We're not cute," Jasmine shook her head, "my daddy says we're beautiful."
"And you are," Tommy tapped her on her nose, pulling giggles from her, "you're my two beautiful girls."
Kim blushed while the others cooed and cheered.
~...~
A few hours later, the sun was no longer blazing as it was hiding behind some clouds, providing a cool shade for everyone. The girls sat under a tree, Jasmine in Kim's lap, while the boys played football.
Kim was watching the guys, specifically Tommy, laughing at their antics, when she felt a nudge on her arm. She looked over to see Trini watching her with a small smile.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," Trini started, "it's just-I've never seen you so...so relaxed, so carefree, so happy."
"I am happy Tri," she grinned and looked briefly at Tommy before looking down at Jasmine, who had fallen asleep in her lap, "probably the happiest I've ever been."
"I can see that," Trini smiled, "and I'm glad." And she truly was. She had been so worried about her friend over the years; seeing her hurt because she couldn't have what she wanted or she thought she couldn't. She knew very well that the main reason Kim hadn't made a move with Tommy was because she was scared of hurting him the way she had when they were in high school and no matter how many times she told the petite brunette that she was a different person now than she was then, it never seemed to sink in.
She had been worried that she would watch Kim continue go through life in a haze of pain, her heart closed up and warded to prevent anyone from getting through. But now, now she didn't have to worry about that. Not only had Kim open her heart, but she had done so with the one person who had captured it so completely.
"So am I Tri," Kim smiled, "so am I. Being with Tommy and Jazz, it's like all the pieces of the puzzle has finally fallen into place. My life feels so complete and full now. I love him, so much, more than I thought possible." She looked down at Jasmine, a loving smile on her face as she smoothed a hand through the girl's hair. "And Jasmine, I know it should bother me that she's Tommy's daughter with Hayley, but in all honesty, I don't mind. Because as much as she is Hayley's kid, she's also Tommy's little girl and she wouldn't be Jasmine without Hayley as her mom."
"You're gonna be a great mom to her," Trini smiled, "she loves you so much already. The three of you together...you guys really do look like a family." She watched Kim, then Tommy, then Jasmine and then Kim again. "You are a family."
Kim smiled and looked over at Tommy. She thought about everything the two of them had been through since the day they met; him helping her from Bulk and Skull their first day of school, him becoming the Green Ranger and fighting against them, breaking the spell, their first kiss, when he lost the Green Ranger powers, him leaving, him becoming the White Ranger, Phaedos, almost losing Zordon, her power coin getting stolen, getting rescued from Zedd, her falling from the beam and ending in the hospital, leaving for Florida, breaking his heart by letter, Murianthesis, Zordon dying, them reconnecting and putting their past behind them...all that should've broke them completely, but it hadn't.
She glanced down at Jasmine once more, shifting the little girl to rest more comfortable against her and then she looked back at Trini. "You're right, we are a family."
Her life may not have gone how she had pictured it when she was in high school, but she wouldn't change anything at all because if it wasn't for what she had gone through, she wouldn't be able to appreciate what she had now, she wouldn't be the person she was today without her past to shape her.
"So what are we doing tonight?" Zack asked as he and the guys came back and sat down by their loves. The question prompted a discussion as the others all threw out suggestions.
Tommy gestured for Kim to move forward and he sat behind her, allowing her to rest against his chest, his arms wrapping around her and Jasmine.
Sighing, Kim relaxed her body into his, pulling Jasmine just a little tighter to her.
"You ok?" Tommy bent his head to whisper the question in her ear.
Shifting her head to the side, she smiled at him. "I have you back, a little girl I absolutely adore and our friends around us. I'm more than ok. For the first time since high school, I feel like me again." She reached up a hand to cup his cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too," Tommy smiled and kissed her palm, happy that he had finally followed his heart after all these years.
Smiling, Kim brought her hand back down to rest on Jasmine. She felt Tommy tighten his arms around her and felt her soul finally relax into happiness. She and Tommy had gotten through everything, together and separately, and had found their way back to each other. She knew that their lives wouldn't be a perfect fairytale, no one's life was, but she knew that no matter what, they would always have each other.
A/N2: and that's the end. Since you're at this point, all that's left to do is to review so that I can know what you thought about this.
Much love,
Kila